8-19/002.00 - Inventory and Control of Chemical Agents

PURPOSE OF ORDER

The purpose of this order is to establish policies to maintain an accurate inventory of chemical agents used in the capacity of less lethal weapons. 

SCOPE OF ORDER

This order applies to all personnel assigned to the Inmate Reception Center (IRC), either permanently or while working on temporary assignments (such as overtime shifts).

ORDER

Authorized Chemical Agents

All personnel authorized to use and carry chemical agents shall only carry Department issued chemical agent canisters while inside the secured area of any custody facility.  While inside the secured area of the IRC, custody personnel are prohibited from carrying or using any chemical agents not issued directly by the Department, including personal sized canisters of 4oz. or less. 

Personnel Responsibility

All custody personnel working in the secured area of the IRC shall personally register any permanently issued chemical agent canisters with the facility training unit before carrying or using the canister.  Additionally, Department personnel working outside overtime in the IRC shall register any permanently issued chemical agent canisters with an IRC sergeant prior to carrying the canister.  This may be achieved while completing overtime or work time adjustment paperwork for outside personnel.  Outside personnel may also choose to check out canisters for the duration of their shift.  Canisters are available in the [REDACTED TEXT].   

At no time shall a chemical agent, which has not been appropriately registered by the facility training unit, be brought into the secured area of the facility.   

Personnel shall only use chemical agents for the purpose they are intended.  If chemical agents are used, a supervisor with the rank of sergeant or above shall be notified:

• Per the applicable use of force policies
• When it is used for training purposes
• When personnel discover any chemical agent canister(s) assigned or permanently issued to them are damaged

Supervisor Responsibility

When a supervisor (sergeant or above) is informed of the use or damage of any chemical agent canister, the supervisor shall inspect the canister and do the following:

• Turn in any damaged canisters to the IRC training unit
• For any canisters designed to contain 2 oz. of chemical agent or less, obtain a replacement and turn in the used canister to the IRC training unit
• Replace canisters designed to contain more than 4oz. of chemical agent, if that canister is empty, or if it is impossible to determine whether or not the canister contains an effective amount of chemical agent

The supervisor shall further notify the IRC training sergeant or their designee of the following:

• The date and approximate time of use
• The serial number or facility tracking number of the canister
• If the container or canister was designed to contain more than 4oz of chemical agent, determine the approximate percentage of the total volume of the canister remaining or if it needs replacement
• In the case of permanently issued canisters, the supervisor shall also provide the employee number of the employee to whom the canister is assigned.
• If the container or canister was designed to contain 4oz or less of chemical agent initially, the serial number of the newly assigned canister and the employee number of the employee who received it

IRC Training Unit Responsibility

Inventory and control of chemical agent canisters shall be assigned to the IRC training sergeant or their designee.  The IRC training unit shall track each canister utilizing the factory serial number and the Mission Critical Management (MCM) system.

The IRC training unit shall maintain an inventory control log of all chemical agent canisters stored in the sergeant’s office and permanently issued to IRC custody personnel, including any personal-sized canisters issued from department logistics or by other units.  The following shall be included for each employee on the training unit log:

• Employee’s name and employee number

• Canister’s serial number
• Date of issuance
• Date the canister was disposed of

NOTE: For any canisters designed to contain more than 4oz., the log shall provide the dates of use.  This shall be updated by the training sergeant or his designee when each use is reported.  The log and rosters shall be maintained either on paper or electronically.  Each page shall be retained for a minimum of two (2) years from the date of disposal of the last item listed thereon.

The training sergeant or his designee shall:

• Document any canister purchased by the unit or assigned to personnel into the appropriate logs and keep these logs current
• Provide a reasonable number of containers designed to contain 4oz. of chemical agent or less to the watch commander for replacement
• Provide instructions for supervisors on how to return chemical agent containers during regular business hours and non-business hours
• Replace and dispose all canisters that were
  • Used and designed to only contain 4oz. of chemical agent or less
  • Expended or damaged
• Update all applicable rosters with the date and time from use of any canister designed to contain more than 4oz and the approximate remaining percentage of the total volume as reported by line supervisory staff
• Update all logs with replacements of any canister designed to contain 4oz. of chemical agent or less
• Report any discrepancies from reported use and its corresponding volume or replacement of any canister to facility operations

In order to accommodate personnel assigned to other facilities or units who are working overtime, the training unit may temporarily provide canisters to personnel for the duration of their overtime shift(s).  These canisters shall be inventoried along with other non-permanently assigned canisters.  The assignments can be coordinated with the overtime paperwork process.

Replacement

All chemical agent canisters damaged, emptied, or largely emptied rendering further use ineffective, shall be replaced with a new and unused canister by the IRC training unit.